THE SAORIAS OF THE RAJMAHAL HILLS. 71 



worshipped and acquired in regular order, and Chamda cannot, therefore, be worshipped 

 by a man who has not already acquired the godlings below Chamda Gosain). After 

 consulting the Demno and Charri Beddu, the householder returns and takes some un- 

 cooked alwa rice and water, and scatters them all over his house and walls and on the 

 patient saying, " O Ber Gosain and Darmdre Gosain, the Demno and Charri Beddu 

 say that Chamda has afflicted this unfortunate one, let him become well and, at the 

 end of a season, I will perform a pujah to Chamda." Should the case recover the pro- 

 mise is kept, not otherwise ! After the year has gone by, the Demno is consulted as re- 

 gards the date. A fowl's egg, some sindur and rice are taken to him and the Demno 

 fixes a day by casting rice at the oiled leaf. First he ascertains the name of the woman 

 who is to brew the preliminary pot of pochai, then the name of the man who is to do 

 the pujah, also the name of the individual who is to start the music. 



The man selected to perform the pujah is a brother, or nephew, or uncle of the 

 householder. The woman chosen ' puts on clean clothes and applies sindur to her 

 forehead and nose, two lines passing round her eyes and meeting on each side of her 

 nostrils. She places the earthern pot on the fire and fills it with water. She then 

 throws rice into the pot saying, " May the pochai and pujah be good." The male 

 relatives do the same. After this the real business of brewing pochai begins. Tassar 

 is gathered and all kinds of eatables, also a white he-goat and two pigs are obtained 

 for the actual pujah. When everything is ready (this takes eight days or more), 

 the householder fixes a date and sends a knotted string to his relatives with six or 

 seven knots as the case may be. 



It takes a whole day to get the three bamboos ready. These are prepared outside 

 the village. As soon as the bamboos are ready (at this pujah all the neighbouring 

 villagers gather) the Tdllu, that is the man who is to perform the pujah, kills a fowl 

 and sprinkles the three bamboos with blood and some pochai. When the fibre is 

 put on, a pig is killed by the Tdllu Beddu, and the Chamdas are sprinkled with the 

 blood. The musician selected gives the signal for general tom-toming and he circles 

 round the three bamboos followed by the drummers. The fibre-clad bamboos are now 

 raised by three men of sufficient strength, and held erect by bands strapped to their 

 stomachs and a dance is performed. These three men are completely veiled by the 

 fibre fringe, and it requires a man of singular strength to lift the Chamda and dance 

 with it, as, frequently the weight is two maunds and more ! Pochai is drunk here 

 and food is eaten. It may be noted that the householder's bamboo must be towards 

 the east, his wife's in the centre, and the old woman's towards the west. 2 The three 

 dancers dance in line and the drummers dance all round them, and, finally towards 

 morning, the party returns to the village carrying with them the Chamda Gosain s. 

 Then the dance goes on in front of the householder's dwelling. After everyone has 

 danced his fill, the Chamdas are placed standing against a thek (store-house or gollah) 

 for makai outside the house. The Demno now appears on the scene, and sits down 

 facing the east, inspiring himself as usual ; in the centre sits the Tdllu, and, on the 



I Pitta Beddu (Malto;. 2 The women do, not attend at this place. 



